Marine air-power apparatus.



INiTnD 'STATES PATENT OFFICE..

AUGUST M. BECKER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MARTINSTEINTI-IAL, OF SAME PLACE.

MARINE AIR-POWER APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,541, dated August7, 1900.

Application filed April 3, 1900. Serial No. 11,301. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, AUGUST M. BECKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, county and State of `New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Marine Air-Power Apparatus, ofwhich the following is such .a full, clear, and exact description aswill enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for utilizing the waves and thetides for the purpose ofcompressing air or exhausting it for such usesas compressed air or an exhaustair chamber may be applicable.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a simple and at thesame time efiicient and durable apparatus for those purposes 5 and tothis end my invention consists in the various novel andpeculiararrangements and combinations of the several parts of theapparatus, all as hereinafter fully described and then pointed out inthe claims.

I have illustrated a type of my invention in the accompanying drawings,wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is asectional view of the apparatus, the plane of the section being takenvertically, as indicated by line 2 2, Fig.V l. The broken lines in thisfigure represent the waves which act upon the apparatus. Fig. 3 is asectional view of the apparatus, the plane of which is taken verticallyon a line indicated by line 3 3, Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numbers of reference designatelike parts throughout, 2 is a casing formed with a set of superposedair-chambers 3 and 4, the lower one, 3, of which has the bottom entirelyopen, while the upper air-chamber 4has but a partial opening in thebottom thereof at 5. This openin g 5 in the upper air-chamber is locatedat one side thereof in a portion that overhangs the lower chamber, andthe side 6 of the chamber 4 is inclined downwardly and outwardly, so asto give an easy passage to the water entering and leaving theair-chamber. The corresponding side 7 of the lower chamber is likewiseinclined.

8 8 are a set of stationary posts placed in the water for supporting thecasing 2, which at its base is provided with a ilange 9 for securing thecasing to the posts by means of suitable bolts 10.

Each of the air-chambers 3 and 4 has connected with it a pipe 11, whichruns from a point in the upper part thereof toward one side to acompressed-air reservoir 12, which may be located at any desireddistance from the casing. The communication between the pipe connection11 and the chamber 3 is controlled by an outwardlyopening valve 13,while the communication between the pipe 1l and the upper chamber 4islikewise controlled by an outwardly-opening valve 14, so that abackiow of air from the compressed-air reservoir l2 into theair-chambers is prevented, While the valves permit of the air beingforced from the air-chambers into the compressed-air reservoir. Each ofthe air-chambers 3 and 4 is also connected with apipe V15,which is like-Wise connected with the upper part of each airchamber toward one sidethereof and leads to an exhaust-chamber 16, which may be located at anysuitable point. Thel communication between the exhaust-airpipe l5 andt-he lower air-chamber 3 is Acon trolled by an inwardly-opening valve17, While communication between the upper air-chamber 4 and theexhaust-air pipe 15v is controlled by an inwardly-opening valve 18, s othat the air maybe sucked from the exhaust-receptacle 16 through thepipe 15 and into the airfchambers; but no air is permitted to pass fromthe airchambers to the exhaust-receptacle. By virtue of thisconstruction there is a tendency for the exhaust-air when presentl ineither of the chambers 3 and 4 to `be driven-into the compressed-airreservoir 12, when compression takes place.

From the foregoing description the operation of my apparatus will bereadily understood. In locating the apparatus in the water where wavesoccur I ,first ascertain the height of the tide and then place theair-chambers in fixed position at a level of about onethird the heightof the tide, so that both the chambers will not be constantly submergedby the water. As the tide rises the action of the waves is first broughtto play upon the IOO lower chamber 3, and the chamber 3 being filledwith air such air is compressed by the water risingin the chamber, asindicated in Fig. 2 by the dotted lines 19, and the air thus compressedforces open valve 13 and passes by the same through the pipe 11 into thecompressed-air reservoir 12, Where it is stored. As the Wave recedes andthe water falls in the chamber 3 the air therein is rareiied, and thiscloses the valve 13, so that the previouslycompressed air which haspassed into the compressed-air reservoir cannot pass back into theair-chamber. This operation being repeated by the rise and fall Yof theWater in the air-chamber 3 under the action of the waves, the air isagain compressed and forced into the reservoir 12, so that the pressuretherein is gradually increased. When the tide is high enough, or if theWave itself is sufficiently high, the upper air-chamber et is filledwith Water through the opening 5 and emptied through the same opening,so that the air in such chamber is compressed in the same Way asdescribed in the reference to the other airchamber 3. The compressed airin air-chamber 4 forces open the valve la and enters the pipe 11 andthence the compressed-air reservoir 12. As the water begins to fall andrun out of each of the air-chambers it thereby creates a suction, whichopens the valves 17 and 18 of the chambers 3 and et, respectively, andsucks the air from the receptacle 16 through its connected pipe andcontinues to do so until the chambers are sufficiently emptied to permitthe access thereto of the outer air, which then enters the chambers andcloses the valves. This is repeated With each Wave,so that gradually theair is exhausted from the receptacle 16. When the air thus exhaustedfrom the receptacle 16 enters either of the air-chambers 3 and 4, suchexhaust-air is subsequently compressed by the action of the Waves anddriven into the compressed-air reservoir l2.

While l have shown the set of chambers as superposed, such arrangementis not absolutely necessary, the purpose being to have the set ofair-chambers arranged at different levels, so that some one or more ofsuch airchambers may be in action constantly. Where one air-chamber onlyis used, it is liable to remain submerged for some long time, and thusbe placed out of action. By superposing the air-chambers l am able tomake a very compact device, and in arranging them in this way it isnecessary to have those above the bottom formed with an overhanging end,so as to permit of an opening, such as 5, being formed in the bottom ofthe chamber. My improved apparatus can also be used in places whereWaves do not occur, so that its operation' would depend on the tide; butits principal use Will be found Where there is a considerablewavemotion. l propose to use the compressed air, as Well as the exhaust,for any of the Well-known uses to which they are each applicable.

I wish to be understood as not confining myself to the specific form ofapparatus here# with shown, as various modifications may be made in thesame Without departing from the spirit of the invention. Of course anydesired number of air-chambers may be used in the set, each one beingplaced above the level of the other.

Having thus described my invention, What l claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. A marine air-compressing apparatus the saine comprising thecombination of a set of air-chambers arranged at different levels andopen at the bottom only so that the Water may enter and leave suchair-chambers through the bottom, and communicating with the outer airthrough the bottom only, a compressed-air reservoir and pipe connectionsleading from the upper part of each of said air-chambers to saidreservoir, said pipe connections being provided with valves forpreventing a backfiow of air from the said reservoir to the saidair-chambers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A marine air-exhausting apparatus, the

same comprising the combination of a set of air-chambers arranged atdifferent levels and open at the bottom only so that the water may enterand leave said air-chambers through the bottom, an exhaust-receptacleand pipe connections leading from the upper part of each of saidair-chambers to the said exhaust receptacle, said pipe connections beingpro vided with valves for preventing the iniiow of air from the saidair-chambers to the ex haust-receptacle, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. A combined marine air compressing and exhausting apparatus, the samecomprising the combination of a set of air chambers arranged atdifferent levels and each open only at the bottom, a compressed-airreservoir and an exhaust-air receptacle, pipe connections extending fromsaid compressed-air reservoir to the upper part of each of said IIOair-chambers and provided with valves for preventing a backow of Aairfrom said reser-` at the bottom and the chambers above it be-V ingpartially open at the bottom toward one side thereof at a pointsubstantially at the level of the bottom, and valved pipe connectionsleading from the upper part of each of said air-chambers, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

5. A marine air-power apparatus comprising the combination of a set ofsuperposed.

air-chambers, the lowermost one of. which is open at the bottom, theair-chamber above In testimony whereof I have hereunto set saidlowerrnost one being partially opened at my hand in the presence of thetwo subserib- 1o the bottom toward one side thereof, the open ingWitnesses.

side of said second chamber bein@ inclined downwardly and outwardly, andVlved pipe AUGUST M' BECKER' connections leading from the upper part ofWitnesses: eaoh of said air-chambers, substantially as MARTIN SHIETHAL,

and for the purpose set forth. WILLIS FOWLER.

